1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a thermal transfer recording medium for transferring and recording an image to a recording sheet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recording a color image by using a thermo sensitive ink donor sheet, it has been customary to use thermo sensitive ink donor sheets having a low melting point for transferring black. It has also been customary to use thermo sensitive recording sheets that produce a red color when heated to a specific temperature which is higher than the thermo sensitive ink's melting point.
The prior art device utilizing such a prior art thermo sensitive ink donor sheet and thermo sensitive recording sheet is shown in FIG. 1.
The first heating head 3 heats the thermo sensitive ink donor sheet 2 to a temperature above the melting point of the ink thereon thereby transferring an ink pattern onto the thermo sensitive recording sheet 1. The thermo sensitive recording 1 then passes between a second roll 6 and a second heating head 4 which heats the recording sheet 1 to the temperature required to produce the red ink pattern. Reference symbol .alpha. denotes a direction of travel of the thermo sensitive recording sheet.
In the system described above, two or more heating heads are necessary, and the recorder including the required control devices is complicated in structure. Thus, the recorder is costly to manufacture in making the final print. There is a chance of the print thus formed being altered later by again heating the recording sheet 1.